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katialena's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A good fluffy read if you want to explore how the character experiences their first year of university and how they navigate the new and changing dynamics in their life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit, Medical content, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, and Eating disorder
lchambers394's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Overall I liked it. I liked Cath and Levi and how pure and genuine their connection was. They were both likeable and complicated characters, enhanced by the other characters — especially Reagan and Wren. Cath and Levi were also incredible autistic and adhd representation. I liked the storylines and multimedia a lot and growing with Cath felt natural and hopeful. This book gave a space to all of us that get lost in books and to the wonderful fanfic writers that help us continue to enjoy them.
My main issue was the ending. It felt anticlimactic and rushed. For most of the book Cath’s fanfic was praised as just as valid as her uni work. So ending with an extract from her uni piece kinda undermined that. The ending and Cath’s conflict with Levi felt rushed and one dimensional. The message should have been that yes expanding your world is important, but it’s better to find a way to combine your new life and your authentic self. Cath’s fanfiction meant more to her than any uni piece and the climax should’ve been her finishing her greatest work, Carry On. I struggle to rate it lower, however, as I did really enjoy the majority of the book and I’m not mad enough at the ending for it to ruin it.
It was a personal and hopeful read, and I enjoyed it.
It was a personal and hopeful read, and I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders
nafisa_tabassum's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rainbow Rowell books have an irresistible charm to them - they romanticise the little things in life. The books tell us of familiar things - rebellious eyeliner, rural landscapes, a shared obsession with a loved one, horrible food habits at university - and makes it feel new and worth paying attention to. I think this ability of hers is most obvious in 'Fangirl'.
This is an intensely relatable book and made me cry. Cath is not like me at all, but she goes through coming-of-age stages that are timeless. The way her family is written is especially heartbreaking - there comes a stage in life where familiar relationships change and Cath portrays how hard it can be to adjust to that. Her relationship with her father is loving, but painful in a way that personally related to me and opened up old wounds.
The romance is a distracting and delightful highlight. The main guy is golden retriever, and I have never been able to resist fictional golden retriever men.
Lastly, Cat grows with her love for media and being a true geek - by her own definition, someone who would choose fiction and fantasy over reality any day - and doesn't force her or Wren to grow out of it. Instead, their loved ones participate in their interests. The novel takes fanfic as seriously as it should be, and shows the genuine art, love and dedication that goes into it. It understands girl geeks, which was refreshing.
I think this is my favourite Rowell book. I'll come back to it.
This is an intensely relatable book and made me cry. Cath is not like me at all, but she goes through coming-of-age stages that are timeless. The way her family is written is especially heartbreaking - there comes a stage in life where familiar relationships change and Cath portrays how hard it can be to adjust to that. Her relationship with her father is loving, but painful in a way that personally related to me and opened up old wounds.
The romance is a distracting and delightful highlight. The main guy is golden retriever, and I have never been able to resist fictional golden retriever men.
Lastly, Cat grows with her love for media and being a true geek - by her own definition, someone who would choose fiction and fantasy over reality any day - and doesn't force her or Wren to grow out of it. Instead, their loved ones participate in their interests. The novel takes fanfic as seriously as it should be, and shows the genuine art, love and dedication that goes into it. It understands girl geeks, which was refreshing.
I think this is my favourite Rowell book. I'll come back to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Minor: Forced institutionalization
chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Vomit, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Medical content, Grief, and Alcoholism
Minor: Eating disorder, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Misogyny
aholguin98's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Non-spoiler summary: This is a YA, contemporary, coming-of-age novel about Cath, a fanfiction writer who is starting her freshman year of college alongside her twin sister Wren. This novel was highly relatable for me even though I graduated college recently. It really helped me with a big transition in my life and that's why I rate it so highly.
Spoilers from here on out! You have been warned!
<Spoiler>What I liked:
Cath was such a relatable character to me. I have anxiety and ADHD and can relate to her need to take care of her family and a fear of interacting with others. I love her internal monologue throughout the book and I loved to see her growth as a character throughout the book. She started out as highly introverted and recluse, then evolved into a writer knowing her direction in her new adult life.
Reagan: So funny and at times passive aggressive. She's firey and I love it. I like how she influences Cath to go out into the world and grow a sense of confidence.
Wren: At first she was somewhat annoying and a hot mess but she had her own character development and we got to see by reading between the lines why she partied and drank. We saw from an outside perspective Wren's struggles with alcohol addiction and unsuccessful relationships. I had many friends like Wren in college. I'm glad that Wren was able to see the light in her addiction and not continue down her unhealthy dangerous path. I'm glad that she was able to find happiness in her darkness. I'm glad that she was able to speak to her fun-time-only Mom and be okay with that. I definitely would have taken Cath's path and not speak to her if it were me.
Levi: A chivalrous sweetheart. From him came a healthy relationship with Cath and I love to see that in a YA novel. He doesn't push her into things she's not comfortable with. He bonds with her in his own way by having her read to him. That was so cute. I love that there was some representation for people who have trouble reading and prefer audiobooks or audio in general. I have trouble reading physical or ebooks due to my ADHD and I love that they were able to bond over reading and be okay with their differences. I really liked how their relationship was portrayed. Simple acts were very intimate without being graphic. She walked the line of YA romance well.
Fanfiction representation in a published book: I love that this book made it possible for people to find out about fanfiction and to encourage others to write fanfiction. When I first attempted this book in 2015, I was drawn to it by this premise alone.
What I disliked:
A lot of my dislikes came at the end of the book. (Possibly an unpopular opinion) I wish Cath took the deal with Nick to get their joint story published. It would have been nice to be seen for the hard work she put into it. I guess it worked out for Cath in the end but, I feel it would have been nice. I get why it was written the way it was. Nick pretty much betrayed Cath and this was a Karmic moment for him.
Towards the end of the book when Cath and Levi's physical relationship started to heat up I didn't really feel much chemistry. The descriptions and physicality of movements were unclear to read. I'm not saying I wanted more spicy scenes, I know this is a YA novel but there was less emotion from Cath. It was like the internal monologue of a Vulcan with anxiety.<spoiler/>
Spoilers from here on out! You have been warned!
<Spoiler>What I liked:
Cath was such a relatable character to me. I have anxiety and ADHD and can relate to her need to take care of her family and a fear of interacting with others. I love her internal monologue throughout the book and I loved to see her growth as a character throughout the book. She started out as highly introverted and recluse, then evolved into a writer knowing her direction in her new adult life.
Reagan: So funny and at times passive aggressive. She's firey and I love it. I like how she influences Cath to go out into the world and grow a sense of confidence.
Wren: At first she was somewhat annoying and a hot mess but she had her own character development and we got to see by reading between the lines why she partied and drank. We saw from an outside perspective Wren's struggles with alcohol addiction and unsuccessful relationships. I had many friends like Wren in college. I'm glad that Wren was able to see the light in her addiction and not continue down her unhealthy dangerous path. I'm glad that she was able to find happiness in her darkness. I'm glad that she was able to speak to her fun-time-only Mom and be okay with that. I definitely would have taken Cath's path and not speak to her if it were me.
Levi: A chivalrous sweetheart. From him came a healthy relationship with Cath and I love to see that in a YA novel. He doesn't push her into things she's not comfortable with. He bonds with her in his own way by having her read to him. That was so cute. I love that there was some representation for people who have trouble reading and prefer audiobooks or audio in general. I have trouble reading physical or ebooks due to my ADHD and I love that they were able to bond over reading and be okay with their differences. I really liked how their relationship was portrayed. Simple acts were very intimate without being graphic. She walked the line of YA romance well.
Fanfiction representation in a published book: I love that this book made it possible for people to find out about fanfiction and to encourage others to write fanfiction. When I first attempted this book in 2015, I was drawn to it by this premise alone.
What I disliked:
A lot of my dislikes came at the end of the book. (Possibly an unpopular opinion) I wish Cath took the deal with Nick to get their joint story published. It would have been nice to be seen for the hard work she put into it. I guess it worked out for Cath in the end but, I feel it would have been nice. I get why it was written the way it was. Nick pretty much betrayed Cath and this was a Karmic moment for him.
Towards the end of the book when Cath and Levi's physical relationship started to heat up I didn't really feel much chemistry. The descriptions and physicality of movements were unclear to read. I'm not saying I wanted more spicy scenes, I know this is a YA novel but there was less emotion from Cath. It was like the internal monologue of a Vulcan with anxiety.<spoiler/>
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Addiction, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual harassment
brontesauruses's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Levi best boy!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
perth_is's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Okay, I had such high hopes for this book because I really liked the premise HOWEVER. Cath sometimes reminded me of myself and I liked that but most times made me want to commit acts of arson because sometimes she was so unbelievably annoying, sometimes justified, most times incredibly annoying. I get that she’s scared of rejection and lonely but oh my god. She has anxiety, understandable, me too but sometimes if someone is annoying, it’s just because they are annoying. However the stuff with alcoholism and bipolar was done well and was interesting to see. I sort of liked the little splices of Simon Snow books and fan fiction because I knew what I was getting myself into but sometimes it goes on for too long. Another thing is the ending!! WHAT A LACK LUSTER ENDING OH MY GOD. I STUCK THROUGH ALL OF THAT TO GET THAT KIND OF ENDING? bleh. just one big bleh. Reagan was awesome and almost made the whole story for me. Anyways I can see how people like this but I think I’m just not a big fan of love stories anyway. Oh also I understand it is a “blatant rip off of Harry Potter” but I like that about it and like how it’s obviously about Draco x Harry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Cursing
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
elliereadsthings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My first book of 2023 — check!
I was lucky enough to go into this book with a neutral opinion. Initially, the idea of a book based around fandom was extremely enticing as someone who does 95% of her reading on sites like AO3. However, reading a lot of the top reviews and seeing such a strong divide between readers, I lowered my expectations for Fangirl by quite a lot, and I’m glad I did.
The book wasn’t inherently bad, per se, and I can see why a lot of you liked it. The pacing was good overall and the characters were, for the most part, easy to empathize with. But, lowering my expectations allowed me to finish the book much easier than I otherwise would've.
————————————
Cath, the main character of the book, is by far my least favorite - and yet the most like me. (I wonder what that says about how I view myself…) A mentally ill father, mommy issues, and a sister who says none of it hurt her? Check, check, and check. I just find Cath to be a bit too… I’m not sure what the right word is… Sure, Cath is a very flawed individual, but she tends to be depicted as ‘unique’, both in thought and appearance, more so than not. Her eyes are depicted as being blue, brown, gray, and green — all in the same paragraph. On her first day in her college town she notes that it’s creepy that everyone there is all around her age. I wonder what she expected from a college town, honestly. Cath also suggests, a bit later in the book, that their mother is selfish and desecrated a national tragedy with her own issues, after she walked out on them on September 11th (“The September 11th”). Like I said, I have more than my fair share of mommy issues, but suggesting their mother intentionally left on 9/11 is a bit far.
Other than Cath, we have a bit of my least favorite trope: “pretty girl takes her glasses off and is deemed more pretty”. Levi, the love interest, asks Cath to warn him if she plans to take off her glasses after seeing her twin sister, Wren. Later, he asks her to take off her glasses, and, after she asks if he likes her glasses, goes on to say, “I love your glasses. I especially love the moment when you take them off.”
There are also quite a few references, anywhere from Soylent Green to Zack and Cody. Many of which I had to end up Googling to understand. Not necessarily a dealbreaker, but something to know before you go into it.
Oh, and CW: Kanye reference. Yeah… that didn’t age well…
To its defense, however, I don’t believe Fangirl was wrongly represented. (Though, I wasn’t in the book world when it was being advertised, so maybe I’m wrong!) Sure, we don’t get a lot of fandom in here, but we do get what the title suggests; a fangirl. A relatable one at that; one who almost fails a class, TWICE, because of her dedication to her fanfiction. Who gets snarky when someone’s only watched the movies. Who gets hurt when the series she loves is talked down upon.
Like I said, many of the characters are extremely likable (I’m joining the Reagan lovers, she’s the best), including Cath (after the first couple chapters that is). It is not hard to empathize with these characters at all. There are scenes where Wren and Cath disagree about their mom, and I easily flip back and forth between agreeing/empathizing with each.
(On the topic of which, I’m glad that Cath was allowed to never let her mom in. I’m glad that even though family is clearly very important to her, it doesn’t mean she had to cave.)
Overall, Fangirl does what it set out to do, and I don’t regret the read. I wish the book had a stronger start, but I liked following along on the ride!
OH! And don’t get me started on Cath… Wren…
OH! And don’t get me started on Cath… Wren…
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
“I could hear you. In some of the best parts.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcohol, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Ableism, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Incest, and Medical content
peachg3m's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this has always been one of my favourite books, it’s heartwarming and well as heartbreaking here and there watching the relationship of cath and wren grow and change, the development of cath meeting levi and reagan (reagan supremacy) and growing into herself. i also think the loving relationship cath has with fan culture and community is comforting to see
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment and Toxic friendship
Minor: Forced institutionalization
literarypenguin's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fangirl follows a young girl named Cather Avery during her freshmen year of college and her journey to finish Carry On, a fanfiction she writes based on the Simon Snow Universe. She also tries to maintain a close bond with her twin sister Wren and keep an eye on her father while being away from the house for the first time. During this time she meets a guy named Levi who is the polar opposite of Cath. Will they grow closer? Will she survive college despite her anxieties? I have had this book on my shelf for quite a long time now. I even got the special edition with a bookmark put in! I haven’t gotten around to this book in so long and I feel terrible because it turned out better than I expected!
The writing was good and I enjoyed that at the end of every chapter was a piece of fanfiction written by Cath and sometimes her sister Wren or an excerpt of the Simon Snow books. It showed an appreciation of fandom and how it tied into the main story. The pace was pretty easy to follow except the beginning was a bit slow at first but then it picked up its pace the more you got into the book. The ending was something out of nightmares, I hated how it left off on a cliffhanger not really resolving much of what happened and leaving it in the air. What hurts the worst is that it may never be resolved as the book was written as a standalone. Despite all this, the writing was fine and enjoyable for the most part.
Fangirl focuses on Cather Avery and her navigating her first year of college and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. It follows her trying to tackle all her new classes, having a roommate that isn’t her twin sister for the first time, and even having her first real romantic relationship. The story is the most relatable story I have read, It talks about the stresses of college so accurately and how it can be a lot for people to handle. One of the central conflicts Cath faces is her writing assignment and keeping her scholarship for her Fiction Writing class. She has to learn how to balance her writing of works that she loves like her fanfiction and writing projects for her class allowing her to explore new worlds and create her own. The only thing I wish the plot did more was to focus on Cath becoming a better writer and improve her writing overall. I could have done without as much fanfiction and more about Cath and her journey in the world of being a writer.
Cather was the most relatable character in fiction I have ever read about! Cath views the world differently than most people do and like myself doesn’t like change and would rather isolate myself in my room rather than do too many social situations. It was nice to see her evolve and be more accepting of change and be a bit more social. Wren was the polar opposite of her twin sister, she was more sociable and impulsive than her. She was also more of a flirt than her. She loves Cath deeply though and their bond is truly an inseparable one. Levi. I love Levi! He is such a gentleman and such a big sweetheart! I loved how Cath and his relationship started with her reading him her fanfiction and then graduated to something deeper and more romantic. He was also really supportive of Cath and her writing which was so sweet! I really liked their father Arthur too! He was a good parent despite his mental shortcomings. Reagan was a really good friend and eventually became a close friend to Cath over the story. I loved her brutal honesty and her sense of humor!
This book mainly takes place at Cath and Wren’s college in Lincoln, Nebraska. I don’t know too much about Nebraska personally but I enjoyed the author putting an emphasis on the farming communities in the area and how the colleges offer education on farming and agriculture. I think that is so interesting and really shows the importance of that industry in the state. I like that not all of Nebraska was shown as farming either and how the state had cities as well.
One of the themes that this book explores is anxiety and mental illness in general. It depicts Cath suffering from a sort of social anxiety disorder and their father suffering from mental illness as well. It also depicts children being raised by a single parent and the abandonment of a parent. How Cath and Wren both deal with their father’s mental illness and their estrangement from their mother for decades. I think the author handles these themes very well for the time that this book was published and it handled it with care. I love that Rainbow Rowell wrote a book featuring these themes and brought them all in a positive light!
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Fangirl and I think if you are a fan of fanfiction then you will feel a connection with this story. If you are a person that enjoys a sweet and wholesome romance about two unlikely people being drawn to one another then you will like this romance! I think this was a lovely book that will stick with me!
The writing was good and I enjoyed that at the end of every chapter was a piece of fanfiction written by Cath and sometimes her sister Wren or an excerpt of the Simon Snow books. It showed an appreciation of fandom and how it tied into the main story. The pace was pretty easy to follow except the beginning was a bit slow at first but then it picked up its pace the more you got into the book. The ending was something out of nightmares, I hated how it left off on a cliffhanger not really resolving much of what happened and leaving it in the air. What hurts the worst is that it may never be resolved as the book was written as a standalone. Despite all this, the writing was fine and enjoyable for the most part.
Fangirl focuses on Cather Avery and her navigating her first year of college and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. It follows her trying to tackle all her new classes, having a roommate that isn’t her twin sister for the first time, and even having her first real romantic relationship. The story is the most relatable story I have read, It talks about the stresses of college so accurately and how it can be a lot for people to handle. One of the central conflicts Cath faces is her writing assignment and keeping her scholarship for her Fiction Writing class. She has to learn how to balance her writing of works that she loves like her fanfiction and writing projects for her class allowing her to explore new worlds and create her own. The only thing I wish the plot did more was to focus on Cath becoming a better writer and improve her writing overall. I could have done without as much fanfiction and more about Cath and her journey in the world of being a writer.
Cather was the most relatable character in fiction I have ever read about! Cath views the world differently than most people do and like myself doesn’t like change and would rather isolate myself in my room rather than do too many social situations. It was nice to see her evolve and be more accepting of change and be a bit more social. Wren was the polar opposite of her twin sister, she was more sociable and impulsive than her. She was also more of a flirt than her. She loves Cath deeply though and their bond is truly an inseparable one. Levi. I love Levi! He is such a gentleman and such a big sweetheart! I loved how Cath and his relationship started with her reading him her fanfiction and then graduated to something deeper and more romantic. He was also really supportive of Cath and her writing which was so sweet! I really liked their father Arthur too! He was a good parent despite his mental shortcomings. Reagan was a really good friend and eventually became a close friend to Cath over the story. I loved her brutal honesty and her sense of humor!
This book mainly takes place at Cath and Wren’s college in Lincoln, Nebraska. I don’t know too much about Nebraska personally but I enjoyed the author putting an emphasis on the farming communities in the area and how the colleges offer education on farming and agriculture. I think that is so interesting and really shows the importance of that industry in the state. I like that not all of Nebraska was shown as farming either and how the state had cities as well.
One of the themes that this book explores is anxiety and mental illness in general. It depicts Cath suffering from a sort of social anxiety disorder and their father suffering from mental illness as well. It also depicts children being raised by a single parent and the abandonment of a parent. How Cath and Wren both deal with their father’s mental illness and their estrangement from their mother for decades. I think the author handles these themes very well for the time that this book was published and it handled it with care. I love that Rainbow Rowell wrote a book featuring these themes and brought them all in a positive light!
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Fangirl and I think if you are a fan of fanfiction then you will feel a connection with this story. If you are a person that enjoys a sweet and wholesome romance about two unlikely people being drawn to one another then you will like this romance! I think this was a lovely book that will stick with me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Alcohol